238 SIR WILLIAM KAMSAY 



cabin carried away and a life lost. The captain who is a ' char- 

 pentier, 5 repaired it as well as possible, but the roof is not rain- 

 tight. . . . We saw an interesting sight to-day after dinner ; 

 two hawks chasing gulls. The hawks are red-breasted or brown- 

 red and have white tips to their wings. The gulls ducked with 

 a cry and escaped, and the hawks didn't follow up the chase. We 

 watched them wheeling about for nearly an hour. 



I haven't seen the Doctor's wife l yet ; she keeps her cabin. 

 But he is up and about and we drank his health Skal !- at 

 dinner in a bottle of claret all round. We had a big erection 

 of a cake made up of rings, one on the top of another and a cupid 

 of the female sex on the top of all. This we all ate with great relish , 

 and crackers were pulled by the small remainder of the ship's 

 company. There are left, K. and I, the German from Manchester, 

 the retired apothecary, Mr. Wilkin the schoolmaster, and the 

 candidate for priesthood. There have joined us two Icelanders, 

 one of the hairy red sort and one of the genteel commercial 

 traveller sort. [Sketches of these persons follow.] We are 

 nearer the coast. It is flat and green down to the water's edge 

 quite low cliffs. We appear to be coming into a new belt of 

 mist, but the sun still shines. I have read Jane Eyre, and Windsor 

 Castle by Harrison Ainsworth. It is on the model of The Count, 

 but somewhat more elaborate. That's about all. Supper calls. 



Friday. Last night we started from Husavik, and now, 

 9 a.m., we are at Ofjord, which is the same as Akureyri. We 

 start on our overland pilgrimage from here, and we have been 

 promised horses and guides to Keykjavik, a distance of about 8 

 days. . . . The bride has appeared. She is a bright fair-haired 

 girl with a gold tassel to her cap and a lilac silk apron that 

 shows signs of careful folding. That's very like her [sketch]. 

 The dress is rich enough, but not in modern fashion. 



This appears to be quite a fashionable place, judging from the 

 number of the people." 



1 This was the newly-married bride from the last stopping-place. 



